1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for making hydrophilic carbon nanotube film.
2. Description of Related Art
A carbon nanotube film has been fabricated by drawing from a carbon nanotube array disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20080248235A1 to Feng et al, to meet the increasing needs of forming separate and tiny carbon nanotubes into manipulable carbon nanotube structures. The carbon nanotube film is free standing and includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end-to-end by Van der Waals attractive force therebetween. The carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube film are substantially aligned along the lengthwise direction of the carbon nanotube film, which has good properties, such as thermal and electrical conductivities, along the direction of the aligned carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotube film is substantially transparent and can be used as a conductive thin film. Therefore, the carbon nanotube film can be used in many different fields.
However, surfaces of the carbon nanotubes are hydrophobic and cannot be infiltrated with water and other polar solvents. Accordingly, carbon nanotube films are hydrophobic, thereby limiting the use of carbon nanotube film.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for making hydrophilic carbon nanotube film that can overcome the above-described shortcomings.